A Smart Dressing Aid for Children with Brain Injuries
Dressd is a supportive dressing aid designed for children with brain injuries who struggle with sequencing tasks like getting dressed. Although these children typically have the motor skills required, they often find it difficult to break down the activity into manageable steps. This leads to a heavy daily burden on parents, who frequently express a need for tools that can help their children become more independent at home.
To address this, we developed Dressd: a customisable, RFID-enabled system that offers tailored, step-by-step dressing instructions using multiple modalities—including visuals, voice prompts, and songs. The core of the system is the Dressd Box, which recognises clothing items via RFID tags. When a tagged item is removed, the box identifies it and triggers a web app to provide specific instructions for putting it on.
Throughout development, we collaborated closely with therapists at Adelante, observing children during dressing routines and refining our approach based on their feedback. We found that children needed very different levels and types of guidance, which led us to create a highly customisable experience. Parents can experiment with different instruction modes and feedback levels to find what works best for their child.
By combining technology, personalisation, and therapeutic insight, Dressd helps children develop independence and confidence in daily routines, while also reducing the emotional and practical load on parents.